Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-21

Brewster, in his letters ou Natural
Magic" relates an experience OF New
| ton which shows that any one has the
power 10 produce Authorizations AT his
| pleasure. This philosopher. after having
regarded for some time the image ot the
sun in looking glass. was much sur
| prised, on directing his eyes toward the
dark part of the room, tu see u SpeCter
of the sun reproduced bit hy bit. until
it shone with all the vividne-S aud all
the color of the real object. The hal
| lucination afterward reocCurrcd when
ever he was in the dark. The same
| phenomenon takes place when = porSon
looks fixedly at window in strong
| light and then at n wall; IA spectral win
dow, with its panes and bars, soon pre-
! seats itself.
Talma, the great French actor, said
| that when he entered upon the stage he
WIS able, by the power Of his will, to
Danish from his sight the dress OF his
numerous and brilliant audience and 10
| substitute in the place of these living per
| sons so many skeletons When his i'm
| agination had thus filled the theatre with
these singular spectators the emotions
which he experienced gave such an i'm
pulse to his acting as 70 produce the most
| startling effects
have known men TO imagine that they
had gold brains, silver hvers and crystal
| stOmachs, and the latter would swallow nn
| hard food for fear 0f breaking the said
brittle organ. There is All authentic case
on record of n man who thought himself u
teapot, and always went about at home
and on the street with one arm held out
at right angles and the other akimbo,
walked sideways, and made a kissing noise
like teapot boiling. Nothing could con
vince him to the contrary. For many
years it was the only symptom Of insanity
he showed, but eventually he died in an
asylum for the insane
Speaking OF Authorizations, ! have in
mind just now Z lady, one OF the hest
actresses in this country, who has such a
horror of dirt that it has become almost n
mania with her. In washing her hands
she uses at least five bowls of water. uses
Il towel but once, and that, when it leaves
the Iaundress, must be locked mp lest any
human hand should touch il Her tooth
brush is always under lock and key.
Every morning it takes her over an hour
To bathe, using at least three tubs Of water
She dimes in no restaurant where she has
not the privilege of examining the kitchen
and questioning the cook Her one hobby
is water. | always call her an aquamaniac.
| know a very charming gentleman. Il
prominent business man, who not for
Nanderbilt's wealth would cross any
river or leave New York | have used
every endeavor to get him to cross the
ferry from New York To Brooklyn. and
only succeeded once-by drugging him.
He cannot tell why, but as soon rs the
boat is on the point of starting lac has II
feeling as if he We're about to die, cold
perspiratiOn breaks out all over him, his
knees shake, and a stranger looking at
him would think he was about 10 COLLAPSE.
This has been going on for about eight
years. In everything else he Is perfectly
sane; at home he is charming in every
respect. lie has consulted the most emf
ncnt physicians OF New York. but 10 no
avail
Recently | read OF a most interesting
journey made by Lieut.. Buckingham and
others of the United States navy. While
in Siberia they were walking on the
banks of the Ussilri river, when he Oh
served messmate. who was A captain Of
the general staf OF the Russian army, ap-
proach. The captain Of the boat suddenly,
aGd without any apparent reason, cIapped
his hands before his face Instantly rhc
steward olappcd his hands in the same
manner, put OH an angry look, and passed.
OH. The incident was somewhat curious,
as it involved a degree Of intimacy with
the steward hardly, in such country, 10
be expected. After this they observed q
number Of queer performances of the
st ward, and finally comprehended the sit
N tinn II saafnAH that h. ,.Ri
W tn a peculiar mental or nervous diseasr
W Iich forced him to initiate everything
suddenly presented to his senses. Thus,
W len the captain slapped the paddlebox
in the presence of the steward
the latter instantly gave it a similar
thump, or II any noise was made suddenly
he seemed compelled against his will TO
initiate il instantly and with remarkable
accuracy. To annoy him some Of the pas
sengers initiated pigs grunting or called
out absurd names; others clappel their
hands and shouted, jumped or threw their
hats on the deck suddenly, and the poor
suddenly startled, would initiate
them all precisely, and sometimes several
Frequently he would beg
people not to startls him, and again grow
angry, but even In the midst of
has passion would helplessly repeat some J
ridiculous shout or motion directed at him |
b. his ptiless tormentors. Frequently he |
" )uld shut himself up in his pantry, which |
was without windows, and lock the door;
Out even there he could be heard answer /
ng the shouts, grunts or sounds on the |
oulkhead outside. He was a man OF mid !
lie age, fins physique, rather intelligent |
n facial expression, and gave not the |
slightest visible indication of his disability !
could go OH writing about such cases
lntil l exhausted my readers patience,
nut shall close by relating few Of the
labits OF the sect called the Jumpers, OF
Jumping Frenchmen, that have Commu-
lity near Moosshead lake, Me am in
iebted tn the late DR. Beard for the par
iculars He found that whatever order
vas given them they at once obeyed
Thus, one OF the Jumpers who was sitting
N chair with knife in has hand was
old TO throw it He threw it quickly so
hat it stuck in house opposite Al the
ame time he repeated the order TO throw
with II cry Of alarm not unlike that OF
rsterIa or epilepsy. lie also threw away
Is pipe, which he was illing with tobacco,
'hen he was clapped Oh the shoulder
wo Jumpers sitting near each other were
I'D 1" strike and they struck each other
cry toTCibly. When a Jumper is told to |
trike, he strikes, when told To throw, he
lrows whatever he may happen 10 have
! his hand DR. Beard tried their powers
repetition with the first part OF the first
ne oi Virgils ''-fneid' and the first part
the first line of liomer's "Iliad, and
At OF the way words IN the English Ian.
lage, with which the Jumpers could not
've been familiar. He repeated or echoed
le sound OF the words rs they came to
IN in II quick, sharp voice All Of the
ImpcrS agreed that it tired them to lump,
I'd they dreaded it, but sonld not resist
X command. New York Mirror
Sir Arthur sullivan has gone into the ,
lsineSS of composing anthems TO Le sung
American weddings.